Island



(No Model.) 2. Sheets-Sheet 2.

- S. SILL'S 8: J. E. WOOD.

HOSIERY.

No.517,593. 'Patnted Apr.3,1894.

Nrrni) 1 STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

SAMUEL SILLS AND JOHN EDWIN WOOD, OF THORNTON, RI-lODE ISLAND.

HOSIERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,593, dated April 3, 1894.

f 7 Application filed April 3, 1893. Serial No. 46 8.799- (No model.)

/ To all whom it may concern.- I,

Be it known that we, SAMUEL SILLS and JOHN EDWIN WOOD, both of Thornton,in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hosiery; and we hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention has reference to stockings, or socks. I

The object of the invention is to construct a stocking, or sock, in which no side seams are used.

Another object of the invention is to construct a sock, or stocking, formed from the material without boarding or stretching.

The invention consists in certain peculiar steps in the process of constructionv to produce a new and useful article of hosiery as will hereinafter be more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 represents a portion of a stocking indicating our improved construction. Fig. 2 represents an enlarged view of 'the heelportion of the improved stocking to more clearly indicate the lines of knitting, Fig. 3 representing a similar view of a portion of an ordinary stocking.

Similar letters and numbers of reference designate corresponding parts throughout;

Stockings and socks have heretofore been constructed with heel-portions, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, in which the lowerleg-portion 5 was stopped at the under surface of the heel and joined together by a heel-seam, the sole 6 being joined to this heel-portion by the seam 7 and to the insteppiece 8 by the seam 9; variations of this construction have been made, but in all of them the seam 9 and seams extending therefrom toward the heel of the stocking are prominent. In order to produce a better appearance in the lower portion of the stocking which is not secured by the knitting, the stockings are stretched or boarded to produce what is known as the fashioned heel, giving a narrow appearance to the ankle portion by forming a rearwardly-extending heel-pocket, and

dressing or stiffening preparations are someor by adding these needles.

times applied to preserve this appearance for a time, when the stockings are wet the material returns to its natural position and a baggy appearance is produced at the back of 5 5 the ankle.

' Our desire has been to form a stocking in which no seams 7 and 9, or their equivalents, are necessary, and to add to the heel-portion sufficient material to form a rearwardly-ex 6o tending heel-pocket, or fashioned heel, which will retain its shape after washingin our construction we continue the lines or wales of knitting 10-10 from the leg-portion 5 to the sole 6--6 and also to the instep 8, curving these lines to correspond with the general direction of the stocking by the introduction or withdrawal of extra wales in places to secure the fashioning of the heel. The heelpocket 5' is formed by inter-knitting with the lower leg-portions material which extends in the samegeneral lines, as at 11-11, and furnishing the edges with the seam-strip 12 of the same material, after the knitting operation the seam strips or selvages of theoppo- 7 5 site portions of the fabric are joined together by sewing. This stocking is knit on a machine having a single row of needles and provided with mechanism for narrowing, or widening, by skipping the predetermined num- 8o berof needles as the carriages move across, The knitting of the stocking is started in the usual way for fiat knitting, at the top; after a piece about two inches long is knit it is doubled over to form the welt, the knitting then proceeds as usual. On reaching the narrowest portion of the ankle the stitches at the selvages 12 are carried outward by fashioning points during the widening of the heel by the introduction of extra wales, and are carried inward by said points during the narrowing of the heel by the withdrawal of said extra wales as usual in widening and narrowing at the selvages of knit fabrics by fashioning points.

After beto narrow, and then joining the edges, subtantially as described.

2. A stocking having a back seam and a heel-pocket consisting of additional Wales adjacent to said seam.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

SAMUEL SILLS. JOHN EDWIN WOOD.

Witnesses:

HENRY J. MILLER, M. F. BLIGH. 

